Interview: Veteran striker Godwin Attram

Published on: 08 December 2011

By Akyereko Frimpong-Manson

Godwin Attram is the only member of the Ghana 1997 Under-17 squad member who is still playing top flight football.

The veteran striker, 31, enjoyed a blissful season with FC Smouha last season and hopes to improve his form this season.

Attram shares his experience at PSV and why he is still playing actively.

Congratulations for your performance last season for Smouha. You scored some spectacular goals to help your club though Smouha escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth. In all these you were exceptional with all the big clubs chasing you.

GA: Thank you very much. I will say what happened to me last season is one of the best things that has happened in my career. I came back to Smouha with the view of relaunching my career so that I can go back to the Middle East.

Smouha is a club which is very rich. It was a second division club which got promoted to the premier and brought a lot of players. The clubs came but it was unfortunate that I have three years still on my contract so they didn?t even look at the offers because I had done well throughout the season.

I finished as top scorer for the club scoring nine goals and my performance was so splendid all the clubs were chasing after us but couldn?t make the move and I am still here with the club.

The season has begun once again and you have started scoring but Smouha have not started on a brighter note. What are the expectations for this season? Are you going to seek to improve upon last terms performance and lure other clubs outside of Egypt to sign you?

GA: Yeah you are right on what you are saying. We have not started well same like last year. As I told you the club lacks a bit of professionalism because it?s new there are some basic things that they were not doing right.

Before the league commenced we were talking a lot about our coaching side instead they signed a lot of players, about 15, which I think we don?t need that. They were supposed find solutions to loopholes of last season.

You see that we could score a lot of goals yet concede a lot. Fortunately I was able to talk to the chairman about this and there have brought in an experienced coach in the person of Hassan Shehata.

He is experienced and has won a lot of titles for Egypt. So we are seeking to improve as you righting said.

You scored nine times from midfield last season. Do you seek to improve on your goal scoring this season and score more goals? You have already scored one.

GA: For sure! I want to score more goals this season. Here I play from midfield but I still managed to find the net most of the games I play.

The new coach is trying to use me from behind the two strikers to match up so I want to score more.

But as a midfielder, I cannot always predict that I am going to score.

Now let's look at the political crisis that happened in Egypt last season and which seems to be continuing now. Do you think that affected your performance as you seek to play week in week out to improve your form?

GA: Yeah it really affected our performance because football is about playing consistently. If you stop playing for some time, you become rusty but as I am talking to you.

After what happened last season, we played matches in every four days which improved our physical condition which was good for us the players.

The league is currently on a break because of the U23 qualifiers after ten days, we will back playing again.

Smouha escaped relegation last season because of the crisis. Are you seeking to qualify the team for African competition this season?

GA: Qualifying to play in the CAF Champions League or the CAF Confederations is going to be a difficult thing.

But this coach came with a different thing. He has his philosophies and ambitions to qualify to pay something in Africa but as I am speaking with you. We are trying to fight not to be like last season.

Escape relegation and at least occupy a mid table position. After we achieve this, we can think about qualifying for Africa.

You are the only surviving member of the 1999 Ghana U17 squad. What has kept Godwin Attram going and scoring? What has created the difference because none of your colleagues is still playing active football?

GA: When you decide to play football, you play football. That is your job. Football gives you fame, gives money, it gives you everything. As for me, I really love football.

I eat football, I drink football. I can?t stop playing. Even when the season breaks I continue to play and train and that is what has helped me going.

You talked about moving out of Egypt, which particular country have you targeted playing after Smouha?

GA: I must be frank with you. When you reach this stage, what you look for is money and not the playing. I am not focusing on moving to Belgium or Norway or Denmark or even England or a big Italian club to make money especially when you are approaching 32. So I am not focused on moving to any big club in Europe.

Tell us. What is the difference between youth football back in the days and what are seeing in Ghana now because it was during the time that we saw all the great youngsters? Talk of Owusu Afriyie, Adu Tutu Skelley, Awudu Issakah, Ishmael Addo, Bashiru Gambo, Peter Ofori-Quaye and all the other players.

GA: We went through rigorous training regimes and also went through better youth system at the time. We also had all the quality coaches who knew what is right at the time. We were well trained at the Winneba College.

Coach Sam Addy was there, coach Afranie was there, Oti Akenteng was there, Osam Duodu was there, and I mean all the best coaches. Youth football was valued at the time. All the senior players were also around and that in itself alone was even motivating.

We played matches against them and learned from them. I think we should go back to those days. That is the only way to revive youth football in the country. Players who play for the senior team must go through that proper youth system.

Tell us why you failed to meet expectations at PSV Eindhoven. Ghanaians were very expectant of you because you had a good tournament at the U17 World Cup.

GA: I was already under contract with PSV even before the U17 World Cup. I have a very pathetic feeling about what happened at PSV something I always regret. You know after Romario and Ronaldo, I was expected to fill the void at the club so I was handled like an egg, with great care.

I had not had my work permit just before the Ghana 1999, African U20 Championship. I was asked to come down and begin preparations. PSV were willing to release me for camping but Frank Arnesen who was the director at PSV told me to hold on, so after working on my work permit, I could come down. I didn?t agree with them so I left.

When I returned things had gone back things had gone bad already though Arnesen and PSV did their best for me to stay with the club but things didn?t work out. They sent me to Germany and Denmark on loan but couldn?t work.

Finally, how did you start play?

GA: I played a lot of what is locally referred to as ?wonkyen ndi? at age 10. Then I started with colts where I scored a lot of goals until I joined Great Olympics. Everywhere I played at colts level, I topped the scoring chart.

Thank you very much for your time Godwin Attram.

GA: It?s my pleasure.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Learn more